Gary Hooper - invisible

[pilksfanclub 0]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

that post is magic. Try and read what I said again. Reread what you have said and think about it logically you may realise what you''ve said is idiotic

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="grefstad"]He was, at best, totally invisible for the entire match.

And yes, I saw the entire match.[/quote]If you saw the whole match then you would have seen Hooper on the pitch.  Therefore, he wasn''t invisible.You''re welcome.

[Doctorsleep 0]

If you saw the whole match then you would have seen Hooper on the pitch.

Would you recognise him if he was on the pitch Mr chops?

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="Doctorsleep"]If you saw the whole match then you would have seen Hooper on the pitch.

Would you recognise him if he was on the pitch Mr chops?[/quote]Not if he was invisible.I see you''ve fallen back on a "spare" account you must have had lying around.  How convenient.

[ZLF 274]

While not invisible he was mainly anonymous, especially compared to Rickys game against chelsea.

Not a great full debut but he will undoubtedly improve with time, but RvWs movement should be preferred if fit against the dragons next weekend

[kingsway 94]

I''ve said all season to those questioning RVW that you could out anyone upfront for Norwich, even the worlds best striker (whoever that is?) and they''d struggle cause we''re not direct enough in the final 3rd, don''t put the ball in the oppositions box nowhere near enough and create precious little chances!

 

For the record I think both RVW and Hooper would get double figure coring returns in better teams!

[The Great Mass Debater 1,090]

Doesnt matter who the striker is. Holt, RvW or Hooper - they cant get in the game. We could have RvP up front and he still wouldnt get a touch.

Perhaps the solution is a 4-6-0? Still play the striker, but instead of having him run about in no-mans land the whole game play him as a centre-mid. Then we wouldnt be down to 10 men and who knows, might still find themselves in the right position if a chance develops as Howson did yesterday.

Everyone seems agreed that two up front isnt the solution, and we lack that Quagliarella type to link midfield and attack. So is making the striker play much deeper really that zany an idea?

[tom cavendish 0]

[quote user="The Great Mass Debater"]

Everyone seems agreed that two up front isnt the solution, and we lack that Quagliarella type to link midfield and attack. So is making the striker play much deeper really that zany an idea?[/quote]Neither RVW nor Hooper are best suited to playing as a lone striker.  Houghton will have to play 2 up front in order to get the best out of either of them.

[a1canary 0]

There are so many conundrums in our side. I think Hoolahan is a true creator in a way that Howson is not, but Howson scores more. Hoolies game is all about pulling the strings and bringing our attacking players to the fore. I think we miss that. Fer provides a little of it but has defensive duties that mean he can never be as influential creatively as an advanced playmaker and I''m not sure Howson is a better option than Hoolahan in that role. It''s no coincidence to me that with Hools out of the side, our goals have dried up even more than usual. Howson''s goals are welcome but not if it means we loose the goals that Hoolahan was creating for Pilkington, Snodgrass and others last season. Plus we haven''t yet had a chance to see what he can do for RvW or Hooper.

I heard Chris Waddle say the other day that you could not play 2 up in modern football anymore because the dynamics and attacking flair of a top quality midfield will always win out against a midfield 4. Clearly CH subscribes to this view, but if your midfield 5 isn''t Ozil, Ramsey and Wilshire I''m not sure what Waddle says applies. I think this is what CH wants to recreate with our midfield, although obviously without expecting Arsenal/Man City levels.

For what it''s worth, I think what he is doing is fair enough for most games in the premier league but against the top 6, you''re matching them up and trying to play them at their own game and surprise surprise, when you''re matching up against a 42million pound midfielder we''re not going to get close. Hence in those games you have got to try something different and play a type of game where you''re going to have more joy. That''s not to say this will work every time either. You can''t change the fact that you''re playing against better players but I think Lambert knows you have got mix it up against the big boys and give them something to think about rather than just match them up and hope they have an off day.

[rowdyman 0]

Shearter would struggle to score in this team, to score you have to get service and attacking their goal is usually an option instead of trying to stop the opposition go at them sometimes lets so a little ambition in our play.

[militantcanary 0]

Surely that'' the answer in a nutshell, he comes from a team that is used to 80% possession in a v poor league to a team that is lower mid table and has to scrap for most things especially away on Saturday.

He doesn''t look like he can play as a target man and would be better in the hole, trouble is we had no target man fit apart form Becchio who the Manager does not rate at all. He was not hiding but was hardly foraging for the ball either.

[CambridgeCanary 0]

I accept all that is said about the need for better and more effective service.  There are though two points that have been overlooked in this long discussion about Hooper''s underwhelming start.

 

Firstly, he is new to the Prem.  This was his first start and to expect him to be firing on all cylinders is a bit unfair.  He has to adapt to a faster and more intense game than he is used to and that will not happen just because he walks on a pitch.

 

Secondly, Laurent Koscielny.   Not a player I particularly rated and understandably overlooked in all the glorification of the midfield on Saturday, but he was magnificent.  I was in the clock end behind the goal and Koscielny gave a masterclass in anticipating the pass and getting there first.  Time and again what seemed a decent ball was put through and up would pop Koscielny to steal it.  His interceptions were very effective though less spectacular than a crunching tackle.  

 

It was undoubtedly Hooper''s bad luck to come up against a player of that class and in that form.  It won''t happen every week.                             No wonder Vermaelen wants to leave.   Perhaps we should put in a bid(?) 

[Tetteys Jig 830]

It would be great if he was invisible! Think of the possibilities! Play with 12 men, have him trip opponents up when through on goal, have him stand next to their keeper and shoot from the half way line. I think people would start to get suspicious though...